A Navy vessel reportedly spent four days without power last month after it was hit with an engineering problem.
A guided-missile destroyer that was located in the South China Sea at the time, saw its “plumbing, meals, toilets and air conditioning” affected by “the loss of power,” Comm. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the Navy’s 7th Fleet, told CBS News regarding the USS Benfold.
Comer said that no crew members were injured by the power issue, which was fully fixed on Aug. 7 after power returned on July 30.
The USS Benfold is an Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyer used in air and ballistic missile defense as well as land strikes. The 10,000-ton destroyer carries a crew of between 329 and 359 personnel and is currently at sea in the Western Pacific.
Military.com reached out to the Navy by email to comment on this story.
CBS News reported that the George Washington Carrier Strike Group and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls supported the USS Benfold during its power issues.
Tugboats towed the 30-year-old vessel into Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs. Ship repair experts from the Japan Regional Maintenance Center arrived at the vessel on July 28. The crew received food and lodging off the ship while experts repaired it.
Comer said officials were investigating the incident.
Growing Scrutiny of Navy Vessels
There has been heightened scrutiny of U.S. Navy vessels in the last week after reports emerged alleging poor mental health conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a ship that has been in combat with Iran for more than five months and at sea for nine months.
This vessel, which has 5,000 sailors and Marines on board, has spent 250 days in a row without making land—leaving those on board without the opportunity to see their families and friends.
At least one sailor has attempted to jump overboard, and other sailors are experiencing other issues with their mental health, according to multiple reports. Reported issues aboard the ship involve suffering from exhaustion, suicidal thoughts and low morale, as well as safety concerns, food shortages, water contamination, and disruption in the mail system on the ship.
The USS George Washington is purportedly heading to the Middle East and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, according to multiple reports.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back on reports about the Lincoln’s condition, while President Donald Trump himself said the ship’s deployment is “not nearly long enough.”
On Monday, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command denied there is a shortage of hygiene products for women aboard the USS Boxer, a Navy Wasp-class amphibious assault vessel which carries between 1,200 to 1,600 Marines when fully deployed.
Their denial was sparked by a report in MediasTouch which, citing anonymous sources, alleged women on the ship had run out of feminine hygiene items.
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